Exercising apparatus for use by musicians for developing the muscles of the hand.



H. osmovsxY.

EXERCISING APPARATUS FOR USE BY MUSICIANS FOR DEVELOPING THE MUSCLES OF THE HAND- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. H. 1914.

1 ,136,481 Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

WITNESSES.

mi m

luvs/viva Mu? g-al x l,

HE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTU-LITHCL, WASHINGTON. D, (L

ExE'RcIsIne APPARATUS roRnsE BY M sIcI Ns IHE'HAN-D.

I To all whom/it may concern;

' yBe it known that'I, HARRYIOSTROVSKY, a

subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing";

at 50 Leinster Gardens, 'BayswatenfLondon, England, have invented a new'and useful Exercising Apparatus for use by Musicians for-"Developing the Musclesof the 'Hand, of V which the following is a specification.

" 'My invention relates to apparatus'foruse by violinists for 'exercisingmuscles brought into use when playinginstruments, of the keys or plates which "would represent the kindwherein, spring plates or keys are employed on, which the fingers of the left hand of the user operate and which are arranged 1 to slide along a bar, frame or stem repre-' senting the key board of the instrument.

According to my invention I -make-the plates or keys so that they are removable fromthe key board or fingerboard and the resistance of the springscan be varied by removing and replacing the springs or by the provision of means for adjusting such tension thereof. The part of the frame, bar

or stem in which slide the plates or keys is I removably connected to" the part carrying the chin-rest sothat the said parts can be detached 1 and joined together at a right angle, in which 'position the chin-rest can then serve as a s upport for the hand, wrist or fore arm and the apparatus can then be used for exercising the muscles used .by

pianists, the rest or-supportbeing movable,

along the bar or stem in order thatits position may be adjusted to'the users requirements. When'the apparatus is required for use by pianists it is advantageous to employ two" similar parts of the frame carrying the white andblack keys respectively of a piano, such parts being securedtogether." 'Means are provided for stopping any one or more of the keys or plates from being "actuated by the fingersinorder to-developindependenceofaction of the'other fingers." Upon the baror stem in proximityto the rest or support I [provide an-adjustable spring'device in which theTfingers orjthumb. can, engage toaflord lifting exercise there.

for. i j 1 In practice the part of the frame in which" the keys or plates are located is formed tubular with a-longitudinalslot having an enlargement through which the keys are 'in-,- it'roduced, the keys. being made with clamp y n g ts which grip the edges of the slot HARRY os'rnovsxy, or Lennon, ENGLA I,

' receivethe stems of thepi'stons of the keys;

beneath which are. the springs, thepistonstems'belng marked with divisions to indif- -UN TEDS ATES (OFFICE.

p, .Spec ificationof Letters l atent at ted i I lpialicationfiledSeptembr;11; i914. SerialNo.861,268.

'cate thepressing power exerted by. the fin I gersf-and the tension. of the springsbeing adjusted by screws workinginthe bottoms of theclamplng portions; additional springs mayalso, if required, be coiled around the piston-stems r A .keyofthe described construction can be usedin the handseparately from the rest ofthe apparatus in order'to exercise the :Figurel 1s a longitudinalelevation of a hand-exercising apparatus constructed according to theinventi'on, the parts being in position, forj'use by violinists. Fig. 2 1s a plan 'of the'sainei and Fig.3 is a transverse fingers, the, springs forininga resistance to .verticalsection onthe line 3'3, of Fig. 1. 1

dis a vertical section of oneofthe esprlngplates or. keys. Fig. 5 is a plan of the apparatus with/the parts in position for use by pianists;- Fig, 6 is a plan illustrating the modified arrangement of the apparatus for use by pianists. Fig. 7 is atransverse Vr-j tical section on theline 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. '8, isna vertical section of one of the keys de-' signedfor use inithe' hand separately from.

therest of. the apparatus. I Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the chin-rest or handsupport with the device for afi'ording lifting exer 'cise'forthe fingers. Fig. 10-is a transverse vertical section'on the line 1O -1Oof Fig.9. "Figs. 4c andi8-are drawn ,to' a l-argerlscale thantherest of the figures. Y I

cBeferring to Figs. 1 to 4, a, a are the spring plates or keys and b, 0 indicate the to the partjc carrying the "chin-rest. d by can be detached and joined together at .a

bar, frame or stem representing .the key 'boa'rd of a musical instrumenti'thepart bi in which slide the keys "a'being" connected fmeans' ofa screw threaded holefe in the Y former fdesigned 'to receive the'screw.thread-,,

ed end of the latter sothat'the saidparts I 65 shown. in Fig. 8)..1I1 the palm of the hand,

to thelatter by screws 12 as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and2 and full lines in Figs. 3 and 5 for supportingthe frame 6 when said frame is in position at right an- I gles to the part c; The said feet are obviously not required when the apparatus is.

used by violinistsfor the like. The part b of the bar, frame or stem is made with an aperture 7 midway of its length ,as shown in Fig. 1 in which can slide the other part 0 carrying the rest or support 01 so thatithe position of the latter can be adjusted to the users requirements' The part b is formed tubular as shown, 9 being the longitudinal slot therein, fitting a neck It on the body of the keys so that they can be slid along the said slot, and i being the clamping nuts screwing on to the said body and adapted to grip the edge of the slot 9 and receive the stems j of the pistons of the keys at,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1, in which is the spring beneath the piston 9' The pis ton-stems j may be marked with divisions (not shown) to indicate the pressing power exerted by the fingers. Z is the screw working in the body or bottom of the clamping portion of the key and by turning which the tension of the spring 70 can be adjusted.

m is the additional spring coiled round the piston-stem j andiwhich may be used, or not, asrequired. Instead of the tension of the spring 70 being adjusted by operating the screw Z, the resistance to pressure of the keys canobviously bevaried by removing the springs lo and m and replacing them by others of different strength. qtis the enlargement of the slot 9, through which the keys d are introduced into, or removed from, the tubular part b of'thefibar, frame or stem of the apparatus.

As heretofore stated it is preferable to provide a scale or divisions (not shown) on the tubular part b of the frame to indicate the distance apart to which the keys are moved and secured, and when it is required to stop any one or more of the keys (2!, from being actuated by the fingers in order to develop independence; of action of the other fingers, the springs m and k are; re- 1 moved from such keys so that the pistons thereof will drop and be inoperative. The 1 construction of the modified Figs. 6 and 7 is precisely'the' same as that 'her'einbe'fore; described with. reference to Figs; 1 tot) except that two similar parts I) of the jframe areconnected together, and

V carryfkeys direpresenting the white and black keys, respectively, of'a piano... E is obvious-that, if required, a key a can'be used separately from the rest: of the; apparatus, for exercsi sing ,the fingers by placing the base of the key, (provided-with a thimble 10 havinga rubber pad or disk'as apparatus, for the use of pianists, illustrated, in

mediate its ends, in whichsaid SUPP rt and pressing the piston 7' with the fingers or thumb against the action of the springs.

The device illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 for affording lifting exercise for the fingers and, thumb V and which I provideupon the bar or stems in proximity to the 'rest' or support 0? consists of a sleeve g which can be slid tofany desired position onthe said bar and then secured in said position by means of a pressure screw 4". The sleeve-g carries a stirrup 8 having attached thereto a 'loop I? of leather or other suitable material, which stirrup can be moved up and downa pin or rod ,u depending from the sleeve 9 againstrthe action of a spring 12 on the said' pin or rod so that, with the hand wrist or fore arm of the user resting on the support d,'any one of the fingers or the-thumb can engage the loop 23 and exercise its lifting power againstthe resistance of the spring which can be varied by unfasteningthe nut wfon the'rod or stem 10 and removing the said springand replacing V the same by another spring of different tension, or. by screwingthe nut up or. down upon the said rod or stem.-

Claims. 1

1. A finger exercising apparatus comprising a key board, keys provided upon said key boardyand means for adjusting said keyslongitudinally of said key board.

' 2. A finger exercisingapparatus comprising a key board, keys provided upon said key longitudinally of said keyboard, and apart carrying a support also connected to said key board.

board, means for adjusting said keys 3. A fingerexercising apparatus'comprising a key board, keys provided upon said key board, and means for 'detachably con- 1'05 necting said keys to and" for adjusting the .same'on said key board.

4:. A finger exercising apparatuscomprising a; keyboard, and a part carrying a support, said support carrying part being adapted to be ldetachably securedeither to said key board or to the center one end of thereof.- 7

5.- A finger exercising apparatus comprismg a key board, a partcarrying a support, and means for detachably. securing said support carrying part either toone end of said key board or to' the center of the same;

6. A fingerexercising apparatuscompris ing a'key board, apart carrying a support,

and means for detachably securing said supaperture providedin said key board interrying part is a'daptedto bezinserted;

port carrying part either. tooneE endqof r 7 said key boarder to the center oflthesame,

said central connecting meanscom'prising an 1 25' car- 1 7. A finger. exercising vap1 1aratus com'prising akey board consisting of atube having a slot, and keys providedjon said'key board.

and having portions adjacent to-said slot.

8. A finger exercising apparatus comprisa slot inga key board consisting of a tube having keys provided on said key board and having portions which engage said tube adjacent to said slot.

9. A finger exercising apparatus comprising a key board consisting of 'a tube having a slot provided with an en1argement,.keys

provided on said keyboard, and clamping means provided upon said keys, whereby c said keys are caused to grip the edges of said tube adjacent to said slot. 7

10. A finger exercising apparatuscomprising a support, a key mounted in said support andhaving a body, "a pistonprovided in said body and having a stem,

means for exerting pressure on said piston, and a clamping nut provided upon the top of said body, the stem of saidpiston passing through said clamping nut.

11. A finger exercising apparatus comprising a support,,a key mounted in said support and having, a body, a piston provided in said body, a stem providedon said piston, a spring provided in said body, and

exerting pressure: on said piston, and a clamping ,nutjprovided, upon said body through which the piston stem passes.

12. A finger exercising apparatus comprisinga'support, a key mounted in said support and being provided with a body,

a piston'provided in, said body, a stem "on I said piston, a spring in said, body and engaging said piston, a clamping nut provided i C'opies of this patent may be obtained 'for which engage saidtube provided with an enlargement, and

said stirrup or a finger five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

upon saidbody through which the piston stem passes, of saidbody and serving to regulate the tension of said spring,

13. A fin prising a key'having a body, a spring and piston Within said body,,a clamping nut fitting the top of said body and having an the piston stem aperture through which works, and a spring upon the said stem coger I exercising apparatus com and means closing thebottom '40 acting with the spring of the said body and arranged to resist the pressure of the finger or thumb of the user.

adjustably mounted on said bar, pending from said sleeve, a spring provided upon said pin, a stirrup loosely mounted on said pin and adapted to move against the tensionof said spring,'and a loop connected e Q 'l4aA'finger exercising apparatus comprising a bar carrying a support, a sleeve v a pin "de to said stirrupand adapted to be engaged I justing the tension of said spring.

Witnesses:

C. G. REDFEN, I 'A. ALBUTT.

- HARRY osTRovsx'Y;

Commissioner latentl,

a spring provided, '7 I of the user,and'means for adi 

